Rob Ford Discussion Thread

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

This needs its own thread.

Did anyone catch this?

[Smid]

It's like watching a bowling ball and a pin...

[DC Al Fine]

Yes.... It would be hilarious if he somehow won re-election.

[bgwah]

Yes.... It would be hilarious if he somehow won re-election.

We can only hope!

[Zioneer]

So who exactly still supports Rob Ford anymore?

[MaxQue]

So who exactly still supports Rob Ford anymore?

His brother and populists, because this is false and a plot from the elites to take back control, according to them.

[Sol]

So who exactly still supports Rob Ford anymore?

His brother and populists, because this is false and a plot from the elites to take back control, according to them.

The suburban parts of the city still love him. Aren't they sometimes called "Ford Nation"?

[Hatman 🍁]

So who exactly still supports Rob Ford anymore?

His brother and populists, because this is false and a plot from the elites to take back control, according to them.

The suburban parts of the city still love him. Aren't they sometimes called "Ford Nation"?

Yes. His support is down to what, 20% now? Still higher than it should be. 

[Smid]

So who exactly still supports Rob Ford anymore?

His brother and populists, because this is false and a plot from the elites to take back control, according to them.

The suburban parts of the city still love him. Aren't they sometimes called "Ford Nation"?

Yes. His support is down to what, 20% now? Still higher than it should be. 

20% would have to correspond to people who don't buy newspapers, watch tv, listen to the radio, or talk to their neighbours. I'd include people returning from overseas trips, but it's been through all of our media, so I would assume even international travellers would have trouble avoiding the news...

[RogueBeaver]

Ford's fitness trainer is a convicted steroids trafficker.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yes. His support is down to what, 20% now? Still higher than it should be. 

I suppose an issue is that his core support comes more from a kind of 'fyck you inner city' suburban backlash sentiment rather than from a 'normal' base for a North American Municipal Conservative (i.e. such people voted for him, but have clearly abandoned ship in horror by this point) even if there are overlaps.

[Hatman 🍁]

What amazes me is, that even when a credible conservative is mentioned in polling, much of Ford Nation holds strong behind the mayor. Afraid of splitting the vote?

At this point, I hope Rob Ford's name is on the ballot in October for the reason that it can only help Olivia Chow's chances at winning, if she runs.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I guess they aren't terribly interested in a 'credible conservative'. Parts of Ford Nation voted against Tory in 2003, after all.

[traininthedistance]

Yes. His support is down to what, 20% now? Still higher than it should be. 

I suppose an issue is that his core support comes more from a kind of 'fyck you inner city' suburban backlash sentiment rather than from a 'normal' base for a North American Municipal Conservative (i.e. such people voted for him, but have clearly abandoned ship in horror by this point) even if there are overlaps.

I thought that "f[inks] you inner city" was the normal base for North American Municipal Conservatives.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

[Zioneer]

Ford's fitness trainer is a convicted steroids trafficker.

I find the idea of Rob Ford having a fitness trainer more suspicious than said fitness trainer trafficking in steroids.

[DINGO Joe]

Look, there's no faster way to recover from a long night of smoking crack, than a shot of steroids in the ole keister. 

[Hatman 🍁]

Yes. His support is down to what, 20% now? Still higher than it should be. 

I suppose an issue is that his core support comes more from a kind of 'fyck you inner city' suburban backlash sentiment rather than from a 'normal' base for a North American Municipal Conservative (i.e. such people voted for him, but have clearly abandoned ship in horror by this point) even if there are overlaps.

I thought that "f[inks] you inner city" was the normal base for North American Municipal Conservatives.

Except it's not as common to have unholy amalgamations in the US between the urban core and the suburbs of a city. There's a reason why Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America, but only the 11th largest metro area.

[Linus Van Pelt]

There's a reason why Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America, but only the 11th largest metro area.

By what measure do you get that statistic? Keep in mind that Statistics Canada's definition of a metropolitan area is more restrictive than the US Census Bureau's "Metropolitan Statistical Area". MSA's follow county lines, so by US definitions the Toronto MSA would include at least Toronto, York, Durham, Peel and Halton, whose combined 2011 census population is larger than the 2010 census population for all American MSA's except NYC, LA, Chicago and Dallas. And they often include a ring of intuitively rural-ish counties as well, so maybe more, and possibly enough to pass Dallas.

[DC Al Fine]

Yes. His support is down to what, 20% now? Still higher than it should be. 

I suppose an issue is that his core support comes more from a kind of 'fyck you inner city' suburban backlash sentiment rather than from a 'normal' base for a North American Municipal Conservative (i.e. such people voted for him, but have clearly abandoned ship in horror by this point) even if there are overlaps.

I thought that "f[inks] you inner city" was the normal base for North American Municipal Conservatives.

Except it's not as common to have unholy amalgamations in the US between the urban core and the suburbs of a city. There's a reason why Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America, but only the 11th largest metro area.

I still say Halifax is the worst. Its the same distance from one end of the municipality to the other as Montreal to Ottawa.

[Hatman 🍁]

There's a reason why Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America, but only the 11th largest metro area.

By what measure do you get that statistic? Keep in mind that Statistics Canada's definition of a metropolitan area is more restrictive than the US Census Bureau's "Metropolitan Statistical Area". MSA's follow county lines, so by US definitions the Toronto MSA would include at least Toronto, York, Durham, Peel and Halton, whose combined 2011 census population is larger than the 2010 census population for all American MSA's except NYC, LA, Chicago and Dallas. And they often include a ring of intuitively rural-ish counties as well, so maybe more, and possibly enough to pass Dallas.

Source is Wikipedia. I suspect they are indeed comparing apples and oranges. I actually created the article, many years ago- and at the time I used world gazetteer- which no longer exists- as a source.  They used definitions which were more comparable.

[Hatman 🍁]

Approval is steady at 42%: http://htl.li/r5npx

the crosstabs are very, very interesting.

[Serenity Now]

In case nobody has already posted this, here is 'Rob Ford the Movie' for your enjoyment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUY6lDja-DE

[Smid]

Approval is steady at 42%: http://htl.li/r5npx

the crosstabs are very, very interesting.

What gets me... there are 42% who approve of the job Rob Ford is doing as mayor, but only 34% are opposed to his powers/staff/budget being stripped. Who are those other 8%? The ones going "yeah, I think Rob Ford is doing a great job as mayor, but I'm glad the council is stopping him from continuing to do that great job that I think he's doing..."

[Hatman 🍁]

There's a lot about Rob Ford's support that is baffling.

Olivia Chow's approval is at 59%, so at least 1% of Torontonians approve of both Ford and Chow